With our work over for the day, Mo and I disembarked, Mo covered by a wicker chair that he’d been asked to carry ashore. It gave him the appearance of an upside-down turtle, pale underbelly and four legs in the air. He sniggered and giggled under there, unable to walk in a straight line. I was taking him home with me during off-duty hours, for what is there to do in a city unfriendly to someone like him. Though I had never asked questions, I realised he’d been signed on at a lower rate of pay than any of us.

Once the chair was deposited with its owner, we crossed the jetties and made our way through the iron gates, along footpaths, across potholed roads and tram tracks to concrete steps where stone lions guarded the war memorial. On high, a bronze horse with a soldier astride it reared above the city. Up the steps we went and, enclosed by walls, found Chappy in Grandmother’s shirt and Paa’s hat, the grass basket beside him with my clothes and blankets stuffed inside. I laughed. I wrapped my arms about him – which startled him I think. Mo sat himself on a stone bench and laughed too. I’d never known Mo to laugh so heartily, never seen that wide open mouth, the red tongue, the square grey teeth. Never before heard his aa rar rar rar.

We made our way towards the railway station and entered the concourse, where I left my two companions with our luggage and went to the front of the building where there were taxis waiting. What I wanted was a dozen beer for our celebration at home, but since the native man was not allowed in hotels this needed a plan. I approached one of the taxis.

‘Waterloo Hotel,’ I said to the driver.

‘Don’t like your chances,’ he said. ‘Anyway, it’s just there, across the road.’

I held up money. ‘Take me there. Get me a dozen beer and a bottle of whisky,’ I said.

‘One man’s money’s as good as the next’s,’ he said.

That’s how I got my plonk. Back at the railway station I took it out of the box and put it in my swag, along with chocolates, scarves, sarongs and all sorts of things I’d collected from here and there.

I took my companions to the station cafeteria, where we had a meal of pies with peas and mashed potato, all eyes on us. There was a two-hour train journey ahead, followed by a bumpy ride in a taxi, one stop at Jimmy Shop’s shop for lollies, then home.